sixfootnine and counting

Drew's Preaching Online

2011-10-19T15:08:00.005-04:00

A number of people of asked me about how to listen to my sermons online. Just click on the title of this post to check them out. Feel free to tell me what you think!

My Last 20

2011-10-18T13:29:00.006-04:00

My mother died at age 62 from advanced colon cancer. I'm 42. It's hard to believe that when my mom was 42, she was down to her last 20. That got me thinking. What about me? When is my time? I sure hope I'm not down to my last 20, but maybe I am! I can't be sure. I don't even know if I have one day left, let alone 20, 30, or 40+ years. God knows, but I don't.

The other day, these thoughts led to an epiphany for me. I don't have much time left! Whether it is one day, or 20 years or more, the clock is ticking. I've got my dad's side of the family. They all live long, long lives. My grandmother just died at the ripe old age of 95! My grandpa is still living at age 94! If that's me, I've got another half century, at least! But on my mom's side, they all die young. Mom died at age 62. Her sister died a few years later at age 66. Their dad, my Grandpa George, died at age 66 too. Their mom, my grandmother, died around age 70. Three of them died of cancer and one of heart failure. I don't know what to think! Maybe I'll fall somewhere in the middle?

It turns out, if you're not God (and I'm not), it's really hard to say when you're gonna die. So I'm going to start with 20 years. That's my goal. In 20 years, I'll be the same age my mother was when she died. Every year after that will be like the whipped cream on top. In 20 years, my kids will all be grown up. A few might even have kids of their own! In 20 years, I'll probably still be paying college bills, but I'll also be getting close to retirement! In 20 years, I will be able to say I have lived a great and full life, but I sure will want to live more of it! Again, and as usual, God knows, but I don't.

So I made a deal with myself today. More importantly, I made a deal with God. I rededicated my life to the most important things. I want to make the most of the next 20 years! I pledge every new day to Him! I will be faithful. I will be a great husband and father to the glory of God. Of course, I'll make lots of mistakes too! I will work very hard to serve my savior, to learn His Word, to live the life! If I live as if I'm down to my last 20 years, and it just might be my last 20 years, then an amazing 20 years it will be. If I obey more than I have in my first 42, and love more, serve more, study more, pray more, deny myself more, lift others up more, care more, act more, listen more and live more, then that will add up to a life well lived. Whether it's 62 years, 72, 82, 92 or 102, I hope to enter eternity after making the most of the current life we live. I hope you will too.

Out of the Ashes

2011-03-11T10:04:00.011-05:00

One thing we Americans are good at is fixing things. It doesn't seem to matter what the problem is, we've got the solution, or we'll find one. For example, I have heard that one woman fixed the problem of her free flying birds pooping on the carpet, the counters, the children's toys and bedspreads at home. She invented "Flight Suits", as they are known, little birdy diapers that fit snugly onto most household birds. Someone else invented hands free binoculars so you can drink your beer and eat your peanuts at the ballgame, but still see the game from the nosebleed section. That's where I usually am. There's the alarm clock that rolls off your bedside table, on to the floor and across the room. You have to get up to turn it off and before you can hit it with a hammer! I even heard there is a motorized ice cream cone so you don't have to turn the cone yourself. Only in America!

In America, we can fix just about anything. One thing we can't fix though is our problem with sin. No matter how much you might want to fix this problem, there nothing in the yellow pages or online that can help. My father-in-law is a great handyman, but even he doesn't have the right tool to forgive me for my sin. Every look in the mirror, every gray hair and wrinkle, every aching joint, every trip to the eye doctor for a stronger prescription, every funeral reminds us that we are formed of the dust and to dust we shall return. Before I know it; in the blink of an eye, the gravestone will read "Here Lies Andrew C. Elling". Trust me, there will be one like it for you too.

At our Ash Wednesday service the other night, we all acknowledged this conundrum. The conundrum is why we showed up there that night in the first place. It's why we put dirty ash crosses on our foreheads. We can't fix this problem, but we have a God who can. Ash Wednesday is an acknowledgement of this. It is the beginning of a journey. Too often we skip ahead to the joy of resurrection day. Jesus didn't do that. He walked the journey there one step at a time. Our faith will not be as deep and strong as it can be until we all walk with him. Walk down the mountain resolutely toward Jerusalem. Stand with him on trial and as the whips tear the flesh off his back. Carry the cross with him up to Golgotha. Feel the nails pierce his hands and feet as if they were your own. Do not let yourself jump ahead too quickly to Easter Sunday. The good news is that day will come. Instead, wait a while first. Walk with Jesus. Feel it. Shed some tears. Gaze upon our bloody and beaten Savior. That Savior is the only possible fix for your problem of sin and mine.

At the service on Ash Wednesday, we all read Psalm 51. You should too. If you feel your failures like King David did. If you admit your weakness, acknowledge the flaws, confess your sin to God, give your life to God, pray for His forgiveness through Christ, then you will live in the end. In fact, you will live starting today. If you can say the same words to God that King David did, then when you die, when you return to the dust, then the gravestone might have your name on it, but you will not be there. Like our Lord Jesus Christ, like King David, you will not be there. It is on your journey to the cross of Jesus that you will find life.

Jesus and the Biker Bar

2011-01-24T14:57:00.005-05:00

You might not think much about going to the local biker bar for Jesus. If Jesus came back today, you probably would not go looking in a biker bar for him either. But He might be there. He just might be. What about you?

In John 4, Jesus does not go to a biker bar, but where He did go was at least as controversial. The passage is literally a laundry list of “don'ts” for anyone, let alone the Messiah. The gospel points out that Jesus went through Samaria, talked to a Samaritan, talked to a woman, talked to divorced woman, asked to be served by such a woman, offered to serve such a woman, and offered the gospel to such a woman all in one fell swoop. Imagine your pastor serving in the local x-rated movie theater. That's the equivalent of what's going on here.

This example that Jesus demonstrates for us kind of shatters the common understanding of ministry today, doesn't it? Okay, so maybe you don't start out at the local biker bar or x-rated movie theater, but if we really want the lost to know Jesus, we all have to go somewhere. Jesus did say, “Go!”, and He showed us exactly what He meant.

In his book, “God Space”, Doug Pollock asks the question, “Who should make the first move?” He says, “If I go down to the bar and [invite them to church], how many bar hoppers do you think would be willing to leave their 'club' to join your 'club' on Sunday morning? What would compel someone to give up what he likes to do most on Sunday morning, borrow a suit and tie, sing songs to somebody he can't see, listen to someone speak at him for 30 – 45 minutes about someone who lived more than 2,000 years ago, and then pay for the experience with something called an offering? How many takers do you think I'd have?”

The point is, as believers in Jesus Christ and with the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is our job to make the first move. Start with a simple blessing (Gen. 12:1-3). Start with the folks God has put in your life. Ask a thought provoking question. Trust the Lord to work. Pray. Once you start getting the hang of this, then stretch yourself in faith. This is what Jesus really meant by “Go!”

Entertaining Angels

2010-12-15T14:06:00.006-05:00

I was visited by Jesus today. His name was Bill. He looked a little different though; no robe, beard or long hair. He was unkempt with dirty hands. He smelled. He had a tattoo and his teeth were rotting. He just showed up without an appointment! Ugh! I am extra busy now that it's Christmas. I am busy doing the real ministry of answering phone calls, writing letters and emails. Oh, and blogging too! Now that's some real ministry! Actually, I was heading into the sanctuary to pray when He arrived. Really, I mean it. I am not making this up for dramatic effect. It was really inconvenient for Jesus to show up when I was about to pray. What was He thinking? The more I think about it, the more upset I get that Jesus would interrupt my ministry like that. Damn it! It wasn't on my google calendar for today to waste an hour and half helping Jesus with gas and food. I kept looking at my watch. After that, I only had six hours to get 8 hours of real ministry done. I mean I had some filing to do! I had to clean off my desk. It was a real mess. It's clean now. At least I got that done! I hope Jesus doesn't show up again anytime soon, especially without an appointment. If He does, I'll be really ticked.

Get Your Shovel

2010-12-10T10:32:00.006-05:00

Chances are, if you're like me, you sell yourself short. The truth is, though, we all have a great purpose because we have a great God. How great? Well, our God made Canis Majoris. This is the largest star ever discovered. Apparently, I've never measured, but you could fit 7 quadrillion earths inside this star. To give you an idea of how big that is you could only fit 1 million earths inside our sun. I haven't tried this, but I heard you could do it from a good source. It's kind of a science and math thing. Anyway, the same God who made Canis Majoris, the sun, Mt. Everest and a beautiful lily flower also made you and me. I am pretty sure He did it all for a reason.

As Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ showed us and told us that reason. The reason is to move mountains. It's to love God and neighbor. Like Abraham, it is to be a blessing. According to Jesus Himself, the reason is to do even greater things than He did. Don't believe me? He said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. They will do even greater things than these" (John 14:12). So, think you have been selling yourself short yet?

You might wonder, like I did, how to get started doing "even greater things" than Jesus? When you think about that, it kind of feels like a lightening bolt is coming, doesn't it? DUCK! Actually, it's okay. Jesus said that so we're safe. How do you do it? The answer is pray. The John 14 context is prayer. John 14:13-14 says, "I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it."

Prayer is the mountain mover of our faith. Jesus also said, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea', and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (Matthew 21:21-22).

It sounds to me like prayer is a great tool. Actually, it's the greatest and most powerful tool ever invented. Yes, it's even better than the Swiss Army Knife. If you have a mountain to move though, better not leave this tool in the barn. Prayer is a tool God wants us to use. Jesus told us to us it. He used Himself many times. Prayer takes persistence though. It takes faith. It takes effort day in and day out. Jesus didn't say how long it would take for the mountain to move, but He did say it will move. So get your shovel out of the barn and get to work. Just imagine what could happen if we all did just that!

The Real Meaning of "Go!"

2010-11-08T12:23:00.006-05:00

Jesus did say, "go", didn't He? If I remember correctly, that was the word. He didn't say "Wait for them to come!" I'm pretty sure about that. He didn't say, "Do the best you can, wait, and then complain about the empty seats!" I know he didn't say that. Ahhhh! Yes! I have it right here in front of me. It is all coming back to me now. Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations..." Yep, that's what Jesus said. He simply said, "go".

The word "go" here really does mean "go". The Holy Spirit chose this word with the traveler in mind. It is a word with intent behind it and also a destination. There is not one shred of "the wait and see" approach woven into this word. You can dig, but you'll never find wait in this word for "go". The kind of action in mind is urgent action. The word is used to describe Paul who was ""compelled by the Spirit". It says, "I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there... I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace" (Acts 20:22-24). Paul's intention, his destination, his urgent action was all aimed at finishing "the race" and completing "the task the Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace". To accomplish this task, he did not wait, he did not hope, he did not complain about empty seats. Instead, he just went, and guess what? God worked.

The BIG problem today is that churches are waiting for people to come to a place where more and more people aren't coming. They just aren't. No matter how many bells and whistles we have, or even really good coffee, all the trends are saying that it is just not working. If we do fill the empty seats, it is usually someone hopping from church to church. Those folks will fill some other church's seat temporarily as well. The unbelievers and "unchurched" of the world are not waking up on Sunday morning today and saying, "I have nothing else to do today so I guess I'll go to church". It is just not happening despite the coffee, even if it's Starbucks.

I believe Jesus knew this when he made his very last statement to the disciples. The word "go" was intended for them and it was intended for us today. When you are a goer you understand, as Reggie McNeal writes, "if they aren't going to come to us, then we've got to go to them. This is the crux of the issue. Churches that understand the realities of the present future are shifting the target of ministry efforts from church activity to community transformation. This is turning the church inside out."

It is high time to turn the church inside out. The fellowship in the church is still powerful. People still need an invitation in to experience it, but only to get recharged and refocused on "go"ing. It is the task the Lord Jesus has given us. It is the only way to "finish the race". It is the only way to "complete the task". So, let's get going. If we do, guess what? God will work.

The Steeple OR Starbucks?

2010-10-26T13:03:00.015-04:00

I'm reading a book by Reggie McNeal right now and I love it! It is a scathing indictment of how we "do church" today. I don't love that we are indicted, but I do love that someone is pointing out that "doing" church and "being" the church have become two very different things. For example, in his book "The Present Future", McNeal writes, "The death of the church culture will not be the death of the church. The church Jesus founded is good; it is right. The church established by Jesus will survive until he returns. The imminent demise under discussion is the collapse of the unique culture in North America that has come to be called "church." This church culture has become confused with biblical Christianity, both inside the church and out. In reality, the church culture in North America is a vestige of the original movement, an institutional expression of religion that is in part a civil religion and in part a club where religious people can hang out with other people whose politics, worldview, and lifestyle match theirs. As he hung on the cross Jesus probably never thought the impact of his sacrifice would be reduced to an invitation for people to join and support an institution."

I love this stuff. I don't love it because I always agree. I love it because of the challenge. These words, McNeal's book and others like it are challenging the church today to be the church Jesus truly did envision as he hung on the cross. In so many ways, we are falling short and we need to hear the critique of those pushing us all to be more missional or outward focused. We will only be better off by praying and applying our way through the missional zingers being zung at the institutional church today.

On the other hand, it does seem like the missional movement would like nothing more than to tear down the walls of the "institutional" church. I could not agree more that some walls need to be torn down, but I strongly believe that there is still plenty of room for "church as we know it" today too. There is room for the "attractional model" in balance with the missional. We absolutely need both. The reason for this is the power of the fellowship.

There is real power (dunamis) in the fellowship. Yes, there is power in the fellowship at Starbucks as the missional movement rightly points out. Believers need to infiltrate the Starbucks' of the world for Jesus. It is God's Will! But we also need to be in our church buildings for Jesus as well. Yes, we even need to invite people there. The reason for this is that God is within those walls! Okay, okay, I know God is not ONLY there. He is in Starbucks too, of course. He was especially in that Vanilla Creme Frappachino I just slurped down last night! Praise God! Make no mistake though, when believers come together to worship, and praise, and rightly preach and teach the Word, God is in that fellowship in a powerful way. Guess what? If you invite someone into that fellowship, the one we're not supposed to give up (Heb. 10:25) even if it happens to be inside a brick building with a cross on top, something powerful will happen. Praise God for that too!

Paul had confidence in the power of the fellowship. I like to call it his ministry of presence. Paul knew there was power (dunamis) in the gospel (Rom. 1:16-17), but he also knew there was power in just his presence. Romans 1:11 says, "I long to see you that I may impart some spiritual gift to make you strong, that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith." For Paul, it was powerful for him to just show up. He knew God's power was at work in the presence of believers meeting together. Sooooooo, it is our responsibility to invite the lost, the lonely, the afraid, fellow believers, seekers, and unbelievers into the fellowship of God. If we do, trust God, something powerful will happen there. I am pretty sure the bible says something about that.

It is my humble opinion that the death knell of the institutional church was rung a bit prematurely by the missional movement today (of which I am part of by the way). This church has been around for thousands of years. Rightly or wrongly, we humans built those walls to meet in. It is okay though. Whether it is the walls of the church or the walls of Starbucks, God is there, and He can handle it.

One Way To Find True North

2009-11-06T12:16:00.005-05:00

How many times do we tell our kids to say, “thank you”. The number is infinite. We beat that drum equally as hard as our parents did to us. “Did you send those thank you notes yet?” I cannot remember how many times my Mom asked me that. It was usually because it was January or February. My birthday is in November.

I did not always like writing thank you notes. I tried that trick where you write the same thing over and over again. Just insert a new name each time, but don’t forget to get the gifts right! Regardless of how I managed to get it done, and no matter how long I put it off, I always felt so much better thanking the gift giver. It works the other way too. I try not to expect thanks for gifts I give, but when I get thanks, it feels really good. There is something that is just right about saying, “thank you”.

When was the last time you said, “thank you” to God? Have you tried that lately? Saying “thank you” to God is a form of praise. Did you know we were made to say “thank you” to God? It is how we’re wired. Paul says, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an attitude of thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2). Paul also writes that God’s grace to us is designed to “cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:15). Jesus Himself repeatedly gave “thanks” to God throughout His life and ministry.

When you give thanks to God, it does something to you. Giving thanks is an unselfish act in a selfish world. Giving thanks points the compass of your heart and soul toward God. It helps you have the proper posture before God to receive His blessings and understand your purpose. Giving thanks helps you find your true north.

The Gospel According to U2

2009-10-08T11:32:00.005-04:00

It was a profound experience. Really, it was like no other I have ever had. It was our first U2 concert! Jennifer and I took our "bigs", Emily and Jackson, to the outdoor concert in Raleigh, N.C. on October 3rd. We have pretty much raised all our kids on U2 and their lyrics all along. I will never forget Jackson in his car seat, as a little guy, raising his finger to the song, "Elevation". We have been raising our fingers to that song ever since.

Of course, leading up to the concert, we played all the music over and over. It all reached a fevered-pitch when I managed to snag a perfect, front-row, field-level spot for us to soak it in. Listening to all the music in that setting was pretty close to a "religious" experience. My low-key, laid back son, Jackson, was jumping up and down, hands raised, to the music. I was amazed and somehow filled with the powerful presence of Christ in a new and unique way, at least it was for me. I think it is because I simply recognized Jesus Christ in U2's music like I never had before. I mean, I knew that at least three band members were Christians, and I knew that Bono uses his music to communicate his faith, but the clarity of the gospel message in the music had never come through so clearly to me before.

The opening song in Raleigh is a new favorite of mine from their new album, No Line On the Horizon. It's called "Breathe". It seems to me to be really about the breathing room we discover along with the grace of God. When we find the grace of God, we really do not need anything else anymore:

"Every day I, die again and again and reborn Every day I, have to find the courage to walk down into the street, with arms out gotta’ love you can’t defeat neither down or out there's nothing you have that I need, I can breath Breathe now."

"I found grace and its all I’ve got And I can breathe out sing my out I found a place inside a sound I found grace and its all I’ve got and I can breathe, breath her."

There are plenty of other examples, but nothing is quite as clear as the song, "Grace". I praise God that such a clear and beautiful description of God's amazing grace has made it into the mainstream:

"Grace... She takes the blame. She covers the shame. Removes the stain. It could be her name"

"What once was hurt, what once was friction, what left a mark, no longer stings, because grace makes beauty, out of ugly things, grace makes beauty out of ugly things"

U2's music reminds me of Jesus' parables. Jesus used the parables on purpose, not to spell it out, but to come in the back door. The truth is, for most of us, we have got our front doors sealed shut. Too many scam artists have peddled lies to us for too many years. Everything is nailed down with the closed sign hanging. When you read Jesus' parables or listen to the music of U2 though, grace comes in the back door, and it is amazing.

Finding God In a Coffee Cup

2009-09-25T12:11:00.003-04:00

I remember sitting in a rocking chair in Haiti about a year ago. I was there to attempt bringing home Eden Kristy. It was hot, as usual. I was on my third week of being there. I don't know how many useless trips to the embassy I had endured, flights through cypberspace or near desperate calls to government offices back home. Countless is probably a good number. All this after already trudging through 3 1/2 years worth of red tape, endless waiting and general misery. As I sat in that chair the helplessness of it all sunk deep down inside me like never before. I was truly mystified, befuddled, angry, and once again, pretty self-centered.

I did have my coffee though! Coffee equaled comfort at that time. I didn't have much comfort, but coffee did the trick every time. As I sat there, sure enough, another little orphan boy sprang for my attention. Don't get me wrong, I love kids, but I was there on a mission. I so wanted to swoop in, grab my kid, and swoop on home again as fast as possible. Enough is enough already! My patience for needy children had worn completely out. I found myself avoiding them as much as possible. But this kid wanted to play ball.

I decided to toss the ball with this little brat despite my growing aversion. At least it was something to do through the wait and the heat. I placed my coffee cup in the perfect out-of-the-way spot. It was protected. Only the hand of God could penetrate the maze of protective barriers I made sure was between the kid and me. We tossed a few times, and then I saw it. I saw a look of determination that impressed me. This three year old was going fire that ball over the balcony with all his might. I was excited to see what kind of velocity he could muster and that the game of catch would soon end. He reared back to throw and let loose. Well, he held on a bit too long. Somehow, the ball came back toward me under his arm, along the floor, around my leg, past the chair, off the wall and, you guessed it, into my coffee cup.

With my comfort spilled all over the floor, I had had enough. I was at the breaking point. I wanted to scream. But it was just then that I found God in the coffee cup. As I considered the odds of that kid managing such a direct hit, I realized something that saved my life that day. I realized that if something as amazing as that could happen, then anything could happen. God's peace trickled down over me and welled up within me. It was within an hour that I got the news it was time to go home. Eden's visa was finally approved.

Jimy is home now too. We've just celebrated a whole year with both our new kids. Maybe that is why I have been away for a while. Life has been a little bit hectic! Things are going great though. We are all adjusting, oh, and drinking lots of coffee! Thanks for all your prayers and support!

I Can Fix This

2009-09-17T09:13:00.005-04:00

I love the story about the enthusiastic young plumber who took one look at Niagara Falls and said, "hmmm, I think I can fix this". Lately, I am pretty sure that is what I have been trying to do. I have been looking at the broken areas of my life, my family, my calling and saying, "I think I can fix this." The problem is, whatever fixing I have been up to on my own has been merely a quick fix. It's like fixing an airplane with duct tape. As great as duct tape is, if you try to fix an airplane with it, eventually that plane is gonna come down with a great crash. Maybe you can relate?

There's another story told by Brennan Manning in his book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, which I highly recommend. Manning credits the story to Morton Kelsey. In the story, a man on a journey comes to the edge of an abyss. As he wrestles with what to do next, he is amazed to notice a tightrope stretched across the abyss. Slowly but surely, he sees an acrobat creeping along on the tightrope pushing a wheelbarrow with another performer in it. When they finally reach solid ground, the acrobat smiled at the man's amazement. "Don't you think I can do that again?" he asked. The man replied, "Why yes, certainly I believe you can." The acrobat asked the man again to be sure the answer would be the same. When it was, he pointed to the wheelbarrow and said, "Good! Then get in and I will take you across."

Here's the thing. I don't want to fix my life with duct tape. I want to be fixed by the grace and power of my Lord. He is the only one I trust to push me along the tightrope of life in my own little wheelbarrow. I have discovered that when I struggle with where God has put me, I cannot patch that struggle up with duct tape. Instead, I have to patch it up with belief in the only one that can fix it from the inside out. As Paul says, "I have learned the secret of being content in whatever the circumstances... I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:11, 13). You could translate that a bit differently: "I can do all things through Him who pushes the wheelbarrow". It's scary, but better than duct tape.

To The World From A Forgotten Place

2008-06-25T10:52:00.002-04:00

Praise God! I am in Port au Prince as I write to make arrangements to pick up Eden Kristy and bring her home. I'm still playing the waiting game, but we really are closer than ever. Upon arrival, I was profoundly reminded of how rough and poor this place is. Let's put it this way, none of your cars would survive here. I don't know how they do it. The people are beautiful and if you close your eyes, you feel like you are in a tropical paradise, but opening them brings you back to reality quickly. Anyway, pray for this to finally get finished. Jimy's stuff is moving along too. Hopefully we won't have to return to this place for a while. Actually, forget that. We need to. We desperately need to.

Gone Fishin'

2008-06-03T16:08:00.003-04:00

I'll never forget that fishin' trip. I went to Canada with my dad and grandad when I was about 8 or 9 years old. It was great! I caught a bunch of Walleye. I remember catching more than everyone else, but that's probably just what they said to gullable young kid like me. You know fishin' stories - they grow and grow. I have always wanted to take my son on a trip just like that. The trip for me was a "forever memory" and I want my sons to have (at least) one with their father too. So I've gone fishin'. Jackson, my dad and I are heading to a secluded spot about 400 miles north of Toronto. We leave on Thursday, June 5 and return Saturday, June 14. Praise God for "forever memories"! I can't wait to see the fishin' story that will grow out of this!

Maria Chapman (2003-2008)

2008-05-22T15:14:00.004-04:00

As we so passionately pursue our children from Haiti, it is with deep sorrow that the Ellings offer our condolences to the Steven Curtis Chapman family. Their adopted daughter, Maria, was killed in an accident at their home this week. She was the youngest of their daughters from China. In the picture, Maria is the first from the left.

3,972,603 Movie Tickets

2008-05-14T11:40:00.005-04:00

Every day, Americans buy an average of 3,972,603 movie tickets. We buy 1,683,835 songs online. We order 1,650,000 DVD's from Netflix. We pop 978,030 bags of Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet popcorn. We hit 568,764 Titleist golf balls. We eat 443,650 orders of large fries from Burger King. We buy 160,968 bottles of Absolut Vodka and 7,500 Samsung LCD tvs. Oh, and we buy 60 Ford Mustangs on ebay. What does that equation add up to in life? Sure sounds like a lot of junk (although I hope next year's average on tvs adds up to 7501-including mine).

I sure hope the equation of my day-in and day-out life adds up to more than junk! How about you? But the writer of Hebrews says that a lot of our daily life is junk. It just doesn't add up to much. Hebrews 13:9 says, "Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings...which are of no value..." So I guess the idea is that we are to add valuable things into the equation of life and subtract worthless things. What's worthless? Any daily practice, belief, habit, sin or obsession that stunts your spiritual growth and maturity would count since the goal of Hebrews is to teach us how to mature as disciples of Jesus Christ.

I don't know about you, but I am a sucker for Burger King french fries. I like a lot of things you don't read about in the Bible. No, Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday in a convertable Ford Mustang! Sorry. That's not the point anyway so go ahead and get one. Here's the point: IF your life choices don't add up to the discipleship God expects, then it is time to change the equation.

Adoption Update: June 17th

2008-05-13T09:31:00.004-04:00

We are cautiously thrilled in the Elling household this morning. We got word yesterday that things are about as "for sure" as they can be that Eden will be joining us here in the good ole' U.S.A. on June 17th. Our orphanage directors, Chris and Hal Nungester, will be flying home to Ohio for a visit with several children in tow. Lord willing, Eden Kristy DumeViard Elling will be on that flight.

It's been 3 years, 5 months and 6 days since we began this crazy process until now, but it will all be worth it soon. Please pray, pray, pray that June 17th will go like we hope. Obviously, we have been disappointed before so we won't be surprised if that happens again, but we all sure hope not. We've trusted God all along and we are not stopping now. What a journey!

Pray also for Jimy. We hope he is not too disappointed to have to wait longer, but we see no other choice in the matter. Pray that we can put the right spin on things to soften the blow. He will be coming home too, but we are not sure when. Thanks again for all your prayers and support. We need it all now more than ever.

Adoption Update: New Hope Rising

2008-05-12T09:55:00.005-04:00

A recent email we received goes like this:
"Kristy's passport (that's our daughter Eden) could be ready by the end of this month (May 2008). Yesterday Junior brought her pictures to the Department de Interieur so they can make the passport." We got this message from Mr. Nahoum Acra's office in Port au Prince. Mr. Acra is the man helping us finally finish this process in conjunction with our attorney and orphanage directors. Apparently, Eden will be ready to come home fairly soon, but not Jimy. This means we could possibly go get Eden and bring her home without her brother for now. This would be overwhelming, joyful and heartbreaking at the same time. Please pray for us as we continue to muddle through this. Most likely, I would go myself with a friend to pick her up and bring her home. Don't forget, when they say, "by the end of the month", that could mean by the end of June, July or later. Who knows? At least it is a hint of good news. Praise God!

Oh yeah? There's a Part 3

2008-05-06T11:01:00.008-04:00

One thing Jesus was pretty clear on was missions. If you call yourself a Christian, there is not much wiggle room here. If you are wondering what Jesus really would do (WWJD?), well this is it. Jesus did say, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20). Oh, and he did say, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). There are plenty more so feel free to look them up.

Now with Acts 1:8, I have noticed that we are really good at, and enthusiastic about, the first two parts of that command. We have no problem going, or at least supporting the idea of going to our own towns for Jesus. We like the idea of going, or at least supporting the idea of going to places beyond our own towns for Jesus. We are willing to go to these places, at least when we have time, to serve the people in these places, to pray with them, or at least have someone else pray for them. Heck, we are even willing to "witness " to them, or at least have someone else do that too. But what about part 3 of Acts 1:8? Jesus did say "go... to all nations" and "to the ends of the earth". It is really not very convenient, but he did say it. Oh, we like the idea of going to "all nations" and "to the ends of the earth". We like it very much. Someone should definitely do it so we preach on it. We encourage others to go. We gladly throw in $5 at the car wash fundraiser. And then we rarely think another thing about it.

Pray for our congregation here at Cedarville United Presbyterian. We are trying to do more than throw in $5 at the car wash fundraiser. We are a small congregation, but have a big dream. We are going to Kosovo (former Yugoslavia) from June 30-July 11. We will be working with a Cedarville University group with Muslim orphans from the 1990's war. Our team will be running a day camp for kids. We will be serving them. We will be listening to their stories. We will be trying to learn. We will also be trying to represent Christ and say his words the best we can without bringing him up a whole lot. They kind of frown on that there. We will be visiting a missionary that we support while we are there too. Her name is Beth Cooley. For the team that is going, Kosovo really seems like the ends of the earth. Praise God for that!

Back On Track

2008-05-06T10:47:00.004-04:00

I don't blame you for giving up on me. I haven't written in a while, and I am not sure why. I have learned that people don't really pay attention to blogs when the authors don't write. Duh! Anyway, I am starting back up again. I appreciate your patience, and I hope you'll keep tuning into sixfootnineandcounting on the dial! I'll try to write at least once per week. Amen!

Adoption Update: Encouraging News

2008-05-06T10:38:00.003-04:00

The encouraging news is that a family we know that has been in the process as long as we have just got their child home to the states. That is encouraging because it means that adoptions are getting through, even if it is as slow as molasses going up hill in the middle of January (that's slow!). In addition, we have heard reports that "things are moving" with our stuff too. We've heard that before, but not from all three sources at the same time: the orphanage, our attorney and Mr. Acra. Please pray that this will finally happen!

We are also looking into the possibility of bringing one home before the other. This is obviously not ideal, but part of the hold-up is that there is a problem embedded in Jimy's birth certificate authentication. Unfortunately, we have not been able to resolve it as of yet. On the other hand, Eden's process is nearing completion. We struggle with this because we're not sure Jimy would understand, but at least getting one home is becoming a bigger and bigger priority.
I am sorry I have not written for a while. People don't pay much attention to blogs if you don't write, but I am back on track now. Thanks for reading!

Adoption Update: Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

2008-02-05T10:30:00.003-05:00

Why did the chicken cross the road? Because it must have had a good reason to. The truth is, when you have a good reason, you are willing to do just about anything, even if you are a chicken.

Crossing the road really isn't that big a deal for most people. We use our senses, we look both ways as we have always been taught, and we just go. It doesn't take long, and we don't even have to think about it. But let us think about crossing the road from the perspective of an ant.

If you are an ant, crossing the road is a much bigger challenge. You might not realize that when you first start because, after all, what does ant really know about a road anyway? However, it doesn't take long to figure out that it is not going to be easy. Cars whiz by you. Big feet nearly step on you, and blobs of chewed gum put you at risk of getting stuck. A challenge that would take a person just a few steps, will take an ant at least a day or two. Crossing a road ain't easy for an ant. Believe me, that is what the Ellings feel like through this adoption process: like ants crossing the road.

On the bright side, every little step an ant takes across the road, even if crossing it takes all day, is progress. A person might not consider steps across a road progress, but we ants do. It's slow and we are always worried about getting squashed, but we keep taking steps. Why? Because like the chicken, we have a good reason. Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragement as we keep putting one tiny ant leg in front of the other.

Fantasy Football Update: Daisies Win!

2007-12-29T23:00:00.002-05:00

Yep, I named our fantasy football team the Daisies. Don't worry, I got Jackson's approval. Why? 1. I think Daisies are a cool flower. 2. We just got a dog named Daisy. 3. I'm rebelling against all the tough-guy fantasy names like "Devil-dogs" OR "Nail-eaters". Just one problem. I didn't think we would really win! I'm sure all the tough guys in my league really appreciate getting beaten by the Daisies.

It was so cool though! Jackson and I got into the championship game. I purposefully didn't check my computer all night, but I knew it was close. Finally, I turn it on to see the score and it's a tie! The score was 88-88. Holy Cow! I never heard of such a thing before. It hadn't happened all season that I knew of! So I frantically check the rules. I scour over them looking for what happens in a tie. The rules state that if two teams play and the starters from both teams end the game in a tie, then the points for reserve players break the tie. Reserves score: Daisies - 51 Bengals - 18. As the old Queen song goes, "We are the champions my friends!"

3 Easy Steps To Understanding the Trinity

2007-12-28T10:04:00.002-05:00

Just kidding. Wouldn't that be nice though? Maybe that's why so many book titles or new fads out there have "3 Easy Steps" in their title or tag line? It would just be so nice if losing weight or amassing a fortune were really that easy. So we fall for it again and again. Hey, maybe there really are "3 Easy Steps" to amassing a fortune: 1. Take some time off 2. Write a book 3. Call it "3 Easy Steps To Amassing a Fortune". Who knows? It might work.

There might be "3 Easy Steps" to doing some things, but I'm pretty sure understanding the nature of the Trinity isn't one of them. But what is the Trinity? I get asked that all the time. Well, that's pretty easy, "It's the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" I say, but it's never enough. It's true, it's biblically sound and theoligically correct, it's absolutely right, but the blank stares I get in return tell me I need more.

The Trinity is a perfect example of how finite our brains are this side of heaven. There's just so much we don't get and couldn't possibly get even if we had a microchip with all the accurate information in the world on it planted in our brains. Side note: I wonder how far away we are from something like that actually? Many explanations for why God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are all the same but really separate are just not good enough. There's nothing that quite captures it. Just try saying the Trinity is like a cup of coffee or a bowl of cereal. That's right, more blank stares.

With all that said, my latest explanation may not help, but how about the nature of the Trinity as compared to the nature of our sun? Hmmmmm. Not bad, huh? The sun is the source of life. Well God is, but you know what I mean. Without the sun, we all die and fast. The sun is this amazing, incomprehensible, bigger than life object in the sky. It's hotter, bigger and more mysterious than anything we can imagine.

Now the sun's light is what reveals this big, hot, amazing, incomprehensible thing to us all. The light is all around us and really fuels the innerworkings of the earth so with the light, we know the sun is there and we know we need it. We can't look at the sun for long or we'll go blind, but the light reveals it's existence and we've seen pictures.

So we have the sun and it's amazing, and the sun's light is what reveals its existence. Now what? How about this? It's warmth makes us feel it. It's warmth washes over us and keeps us from freezing to death. Some days are colder than others though. Some days are downright freezing, but it's only the sun that can warm things up again. There are even days where the sun's warmth scorches us, but every evening like clockwork, it relents again.

Okay, so this is kind of cheesy, but it does help me at least. The sun is really three-in-one: the sun, its light and its warmth. Each one of these things is unique, but at the same time the same. Here's to more confusion and maybe a little en"light"enment on the subject of the Trinity.

My New Year's Resolution

2007-12-17T10:40:00.001-05:00

The truth is I really am a fairly well adjusted 39 year old male. I don't think I'm going through any kind of mid-life crisis or anything like that. But I am a sinner, and almost everyday I re-remember that stark reality, which is my day-to-day crisis. Something will happen or a series of somethings that will stick the reality of my sinfulness right back in my face again. I'm pretty sure it's God. Theologically I would bet it's actually God the Holy Spirit doing everything from a gentle and friendly whisper to a swift kick in the pants. It seems like lately it's been kicks more than whispers. I get that from time to time.

I've been confronted by the Holy Spirit lately with a pattern of sin I'll call obsessions. Another word might be distractions. These would be any regular behaviors, not necessarily sin in and of themselves, that you focus on and participate in to the point of obsession, and that distract you from your life's mission. When I thought about this I realized that these two words, obsession and distraction, are not words I want to go together in my life very often because when they do, I'm much less effective as a husband, father, son, pastor, preacher and disciple to name a few. More to the point, when obsession and distraction become characteristics of mine to much degree at all, I'm not just "much less effective", in fact, I just plain suck at everything else but sin.

I don't know about you, but it seems like there's a laundry list of these kinds of things that wrestle my attention away from the really important stuff. Actually, most of the time it's more like inviting me out for an ice cream cone than wrestling me or picking a fight. I want to give in because I enjoy each thing so much. Put what you want under the category of obsession or distraction from fantasy football to video games to watching t.v. By the way, my fantasy team is about to win the championship! See what I mean?

I am disgusted often when I add up how much time I spend on things that don't matter versus things that my life depends on. I'll bet I could have read the Bible through three times in the same amount of time I've studied espn.com this year for example. Well, I guess I have a new New Year's resolution. Here's to doing better next year! I pray you'll do better too.

Adoption Update: December 2007

2007-12-05T10:18:00.000-05:00

It will be three years of working "the system" on January 7th. That date looms like a date for major surgery, or at least having a root canal. We're looking forward to it about as much as surgery or a root canal too. I guess it's because no matter how hard we try or how much we wait, we just can't seem to finish this and get our kids home.

January 7th isn't just the three year anniversary of this crazy process, but it's also Jimy's birthday. Jimy is the little boy we're adopting, and he will be turning five. So I guess January

7th is also a reminder that this is all worth it. These two beautiful children (Eden is our little girl) will be getting here someday. We just hope it's someday soon.

Sorry it's been so long for some of you since you've heard anything from us. We're just tired of saying, "not yet", I guess. But there have been a few key developments lately that bring us hope so I wanted to let you know about them.

God has blessed us with a friend in high places. His name is Mike DeWine. He was a U.S. Senator for many years, and his home happens to be in Cedarville. Not only that, but as providence would have it, he also has a passion for Haiti. It turns out, the DeWine's started a school in Port au Prince called Becky's School. It was named after their daughter Becky who was killed in a car accident many years ago. The DeWine's are very involved in that ministry, traveling back and forth to Haiti, and working with government officials there.

In getting to know us, Mike and Fran have taken an interest in our adoptions and now share our ongoing consternation. As a result, Mike talks to the President of Haiti and his staff regularly about helping us get this done. He also has a friend in Haiti named Nahoum Acra. This man is highly respected in Haiti and also has friends in the government. Mr. Acra has agreed to do what he can to help us push this through.

Obviously, the only One who can really push anything through is God. We know that and we're praying daily. Thanks for your prayers, your financial support and your regular encouragement. It helps so much. We will press on until God's timing is right. Thanks for pressing on with us.

Truth Exploration

2007-12-05T09:36:00.000-05:00

Back in caveman days, the people saw the moon but had no idea what it really was. They probably wondered daily what secrets it held. Was it a god? "What the heck. Let's worship it just in case" they might have thought to themselves, and then they did. But as time went on, we figured it out. The moon is incredible, but it's not a god. We figured out that the moon is just one of billions of incredible worlds to explore out there.

There was time when there were still untold numbers of worlds to explore on earth too. I mean, Christopher Columbus didn't sail the ocean blue til 1492, remember? The point is, we know incredible things exist out there, but we only learn more about them the closer we get.

The same is true with truth. First, there is a truth to be found. It doesn't matter how much I want something to be true. It's either true or it isn't. It's not logical or possible for two contradictory ideas to be true at the same time. For example, I can say, "There is an ocean and it's blue" but I can't say, "There is not an ocean" at the same and be right about both. The reason is it's not reality. Something is either real or not real. It's either true or not true. You could say, "But there are different interpretations of truth". That's fine. Go ahead and say it, and on some level you might be right. But you still cannot say there's an ocean and there's not an ocean at the same time and be right about both. One of those statements has to be false.

The same is true for the existence of God. The same is also true regarding the Lordship of Jesus Christ. There either is a God or not. Both can't be true at the same time. And Jesus Christ is either Lord and Messiah or not. He can't be both at the same time, and we could go on from there.

We discovered the truth about God and His Son Jesus Christ a long time ago. It was like Columbus discovering the new world. Since this great discovery. We have explored this new world. We've built on it and we've settled down here. There's still much more we don't know, but we've learned the basic reality along with many intricacies as well.

There are other worlds out there and more truth. The Holy Spirit is like climbing up Mount Everest. The Sermon on the Mount and its applications is like a trek to the North Pole. We don't know nearly as much about these places as we think we do, but we know a lot more than we used to.

Now, we're off to the moon and beyond. We're off to places like Mars, Venus, Pluto and even the next galaxy. Each new place we visit and explore offers new perspectives. It's like venturing into Paul's letters or the Old Testament prophets. It's like landing on the surface of the doctrine of election, predestination or the sacraments. You could even say it's like observing up close the supernova of the book of Revelation.

Each place we visit does not supersede or negate the places we've already been. The foundation upon which we've already built still exists, and it's solid. But do we really know as much about the supernova or the planet Pluto as we do our own backyard?

This position we're in of not knowing it all doesn't have to be scary. Let's think of it as beautiful instead. We have a God and Lord who has done all this and given it to us to explore and learn from. There's no limit to the universe of God's amazing truth so let's blast off together and enjoy.

Dirty Minds

2007-12-04T10:36:00.000-05:00

What if we actually did some of the things we think about doing? Take a second to inventory your recent thoughts. What were they? Be honest. If you're like me, you probably break at least one of the ten commandments in your mind every day. And if you're thinking you're not like me in that way, I'll bet you just broke commandment #9 (see Exodus 20). It's amazing to me the actions in my mind I tolerate that I would never tolerate in real life. In fact, it's amazing what I'm free to do in my head that people get thrown in prison for every day because they act them out. Why do I do that? Why has that become okay? Can you relate? I mean, Jesus did teach that a sin in my mind is equally as sinful as a sin anywhere else. Lust in my mind really is a type of adultery. Anger in my mind really can be a type of murder. Check that one off today for me. I guess I killed that guy who tailed me into town. Well, I did imagine running him off the road. Coveting in my mind really is a type of theft. Obviously, when people do act out, the consequences are much more intense, but that doesn't change the sin. Thank God for His amazing grace. I guess I really need it. How about you?

Before Baby Jesus

2007-12-04T10:21:00.000-05:00

I was just thinking about what Christmas pageants today would be like without the baby Jesus. Now that would be a little weird. Christmas and the baby Jesus kind of go together, don't they? There was a time though when nobody knew about the baby Jesus. All anyone knew was that God had promised a Messiah to come. What would it be like if you knew you needed a Messiah, He hadn't come yet and you had no idea when He would finally get here? I imagine many people prior to the first Christmas morning longed for their Messiah in a way we've lost track of today. Today we have Christmas every year. We send Christmas cards every year. We sing the same carols every year. We get the tree, hang the stockings, maybe even read the Christmas story every year. But where's that longing? The repetition is fun and it's tradition, but is it necessary? Do we need Christmas to come? Do we long for it and for our Messiah like we were waiting for the first Christmas morning ever? Well I think we need to. At least, we need to again. May the baby Jesus be born again in our hearts this Christmas. Let's long for God. Let's groan for the Messiah who saves us. Let's need Him again, and let's say new prayers that our loved ones and friends will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes...like it was the first time.

Coming Soon

2007-11-29T15:15:00.000-05:00

It seems like just about everything these days is "coming soon". That's pretty much a good thing. I love living today with all the latest advances and all the newest promises. There's so much we can do now, which means more stuff I don't know how to do. Can you relate? For example, this blog is a new project for me. I'm a quick learner with all this stuff, but just yesterday I didn't know what a blog really was. I guess I'm a step behind on most things, but perfectly willing and able to catch up. A year ago or so I caught up on the i-tunes thing. Now, it's time to blog. I decided to start one cause I knew it could help me somehow. Everybody talks about them so they must help, right? So now I'm determined to figure out the next big thing: I want to post my sermons online. Guess what? That's coming soon. I'll keep you posted.

More Than Just a Title

2007-11-29T11:13:00.000-05:00

I thought of the title, sixfootnine and counting, in about 30 seconds. I just needed a title for this blog experiment. But as I thought about it I was struck by how appropriate it was. It really does say a lot, doesn't it? It says a lot about who I am, how people see me, how I see myself, who I am becoming and much, much more. That's a God thing.

As a preacher I feel myself to be in the position of speaking for God a lot. I try not to let that get to me much cause, let's face it, that's pretty intense. How could I (underline I several times) speak for God? What helps me is to remember that I'm not speaking for God, but He is speaking through me. So when something even close to profound comes out of my brain or heart and through my mouth or pen or fingertips, especially when it only takes 30 seconds, I remember again that God works and speaks in and through me (and you)-even in the title for a blog. Therein lies the vantage point of my life: it's not about me. It's all about God.